Steering went wacko

06-06-2006, 09:17 AM

new member, first post... My 79 CJ5 hit a mini-speedbump type ridge on the highway, and suddenly veered right. When I corrected, it oversteered to the left. From then on, any little wind or bump caused it to do a mini fishtail. Happens in any gear at any speed, making these 'death turns' at a whim. Checked everything myself, nothing wrong. Took it to a shop, they test drove and are afraid to drive it again, but they can't find anything wrong. They're starting to think something broke in the gear box. I have an AGR Super Box 2 with the Super Pump, dropped pitman arm, Skyjacker 4" lift with Nitro, steering stabilizer. All less than 2 years old, summers only, mostly on road use. Any suggestions?

Classic "death wobble". So it recently started doing this? Have you made any changes to the suspension recently, longer shckles, new lift etc? Do a search for death wobble and you will find more than enough horror stories and even more possible fixes or causes.

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Actually, it's not a death wobble, it's a death turn. There's no shaking or shimmying or wobbling. It just suddenly veers sharply to one side, and a very slight adjustment of the steering wheel sends it veering sharply off to the other side. Once it settles back in, it drives straight and smooth as if nothing happened, until the next wind or bump or shift of gears.

Muddycj, welcome to the board. It sounds like the steering box to me. I can't explain it technically but there is monstrous pressure created to operate those boxes and it sounds like the mechanism used to proportion the pressure properly is going out intermittently on you. Have you contacted AGR about the problem by chance?

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Classic "death wobble". So it recently started doing this? Have you made any changes to the suspension recently, longer shckles, new lift etc? Do a search for death wobble and you will find more than enough horror stories and even more possible fixes or causes.

MUDDYCJ
Sorry , but this isnt symptoms of the the "DEATH WOBBLE"
Looks like bump steer problem. ya got a good (great) front end man there take it to them. somebody that is all they do!!!!! Good luck HMR-RSQ

My bad, from first read I thought he meant it would veer from side to side violently until slowing enough to stop it (death wobble to me). Check your box mounts to the frame. Could be a broken or cracked mount or the bolts sheared off at the frame. I would agree something most likely broke (mount or box itself as mentioned above) and is not a matter of just front end misalignment, caster angle etc.

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i had something like that one time.going down a hill braking to the right (sharp hair pen ) under braking plus turning right,the jeep just turn to left,was lookin at the wheel on the left front as the time it was doing it.i stop to see if the lug nuts came off,but all was there ,got home jacked up the front end then i saw the problem.my u bolts was WAY to loose .not sure if that's your problem or not .but it had a death wobble fill to it .